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Once Hounds complete trade, Cat should be out of the bag - RUICCI COLUMN

With fall approaching, there are now two days I'm anxiously looking forward to.

One is Sept. 24, when the Soo Greyhounds visit the Belleville Bulls to open another OHL season.

The other is the day Daniel Catenacci is traded.

That's when inquisitive fans and nosy reporters should finally find out some, or maybe all of the reasons that have prompted the talented 18-year-old centre to request he be dealt away.

Coming back from a 10-day vacation, news of Catenacci's desire to be traded -- actually, 'demand' is a better word, since the Cat is refusing to report for Hounds training camp -- hit me like a bomb.

What could possibly be so bad about playing in a hockey hotbed such as Sault Ste. Marie, for a young Greyhounds team with loads of potential both this season and next?

Unfortunately, no one is saying much of anything.

Catenacci plays on the Hounds top line and gets loads of ice time. After failing to make the playoffs a year ago, the 2011-12 Greyhounds, who had four players, including Catenacci, drafted in June by NHL teams, finally appear to have a real chance at achieving some post-season success.

Thousands of Sault fans revere Catenacci -- I've seen young kids and teenagers act as if they want to kneel and touch his robes.

Yet he wants out. Badly.

The last time we talked, the day after the June 24-25 NHL draft, Catenacci spoke of how determined he was "to do anything I can to help my team win."

But Kyle Dubas, the Soo's new general manager, says Catenacci's agent, Darren Ferris, requested a trade during a July 19 meeting.

The player's father, Maurice, agreed to a brief interview Wednesday.

While he wouldn't get into the reasons behind the decision, Maurice admitted it was a difficult situation.

"It has nothing to do with ice time," he said when asked.

Peppered with more questions, Maurice added: "It's a great organization, we love the people of Sault Ste. Marie and Daniel loves his teammates. We're grateful for the two years we've had up there, but sometimes these things happen in sports."

Again asked about specific reasons for seeking a trade, Maurice politely said he'd "prefer not to comment further at this time" and, he added, "Daniel prefers not to comment."

Dubas won't say anything either. For now.

Ferris, reached Wednesday, also refused comment. He wouldn't even confirm it was the Catenacci camp that asked for a trade.

That's despite the fact Ferris said on Aug. 13 the concerns he and the Catenaccis had "were of a serious nature. They couldn't be resolved and I guess that's why we're where we are today."

According to sources close to the star player, Daniel Catenacci's been telling his Greyhounds teammates the trade request "wasn't his decision."

Whether he means someone (his agent or father) helped convince him seeking a deal was the right way to go, or whether he's trying to suggest it was the Hounds who made the decision to trade him, is unknown.

To that, Dubas repeated what he said when this story first broke a week ago.

"The trade request came from Darren Ferris on July 19," said Dubas. "And I have no further comment on this matter."

What a mess.

What I do know is this: With teammates Ryan Sproul and Nick Cousins selected before him, Catenacci slipped into the third round of the NHL draft, taken 77th overall by the Buffalo Sabres.

That's after telling me in a pre-draft interview he believed, based on what Ferris was telling him, he'd be a first-round choice.

It had to be a huge disappointment for a kid with a lot of pride.

Two NHL scouts I spoke to after the draft blamed Catenacci's fall on ego and poor attitude, traits they say he exhibited at the IIHF Under-18 championships in Germany.

But after speaking to Catenacci following the draft, he seemed determined to prove wrong those in the NHL who doubt him.

He seemed anxious to have his best season in a Greyhounds uniform, while helping turn the club into a serious contender.

This is a very likable kid who works hard, playing an up-tempo game with intensity and purpose.

He may never be a huge goal-scoring threat, but he brings so many other attributes, including blazing speed and tenacity, to the table. And he could finish with between 90 and 100 points this year.

If Catenacci believes the Hounds have been stifling his development, the time to demand he be moved would have been before last season's trade deadline.

The 2010-2011 Greyhounds failed miserably when it came to surrounding their young centres, Catenacci and Cousins, with sufficient veteran talent on the wings to complement their talents.

However, this season, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Yet soon, the first overall choice in the 2009 OHL draft will be gone.

Obviously, if a kid doesn't want to be here, you move him and move on.

But like most of you, I'm dying to know the real reason why.

* Hey, it's strange to hear some fans concerned over the fact Dubas is exhibiting little stress over the Catenacci situation.

But how else would they like to see him handle it?

When seeking a deal everyone knows he eventually has to make, the last thing a GM wants to show is a sense of urgency.

Rival GMs love to see their colleagues sweat, forced to wheel and deal while under pressure.

Because he has little leverage, it's doubtful Dubas can get fair market value for Catenacci. But the Hounds GM intends to extract something as close to fair value as possible.

And the only way in which to do so is to be patient and refuse to panic.

As for what he'll seek for Catenacci, Dubas has to get a live body -- and a good one -- in any deal. In other words, draft choices aren't going to cut it.

And you can bet the Hounds won't be trading for a project. They'll expect a proven talent for a player of Catenacci's ability.

Peter Ruicci can be reached at pruicci@saultstar.com or 759-3030 ext. 510